Live longer and stronger with cardio exercise
IF YOU WALK, RUN, PLAY TENNIS, HIKE, BIKE, OR SWIM, HEALTH experts say you are moving toward living longer and in better health. A program of regular aerobic exercise can help you avoid chronic diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers. Aerobic exercise can also lower blood pressure, build stronger bones, improve muscle strength and flexibility, lessen depression, and help control your weight.
How Aerobics Improve Health -
Aerobic exercise involves continuous, rhythmic activity of large muscles in the legs and buttocks to strengthen your heart and lungs (cardiovascular system). When you exercise, the muscles demand more oxygen-rich blood and give off more carbon dioxide and other waste. This makes your heartbeat faster to keep up with the blood circulation.
When you follow a program of regular aerobic exercise, over time your heart grows stronger and can meet the muscles’ demands without as much effort. Both men and women can benefit from cardiovascular fitness. Check with your doctor first if you have a chronic condition or are overweight, a smoker, or middle aged or older and have never exercised.
Achieving Aerobic Fitness – To strengthen your heart, you should do aerobic exercise intensely enough to reach your target heart rate. This is 60 percent to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus your age. (Example: If you’re 50 years old, your maximum heart rate is 170; your target heart rate is 102 to 136.)
Safe and effective aerobic training guidelines include frequency, intensity, and time (FIT): > Frequency: Exercise at least three times a week. > Intensity: Exercise hard enough to reach your target heart rate. (Take your pulse immediately when you stop exercising, count the beats for 15 seconds, and multiply the number by four.) > Time: Include at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise in each session.
